The Secrets We Keep
by Wandering Bird
Summary: Kel meets a mysterious stranger in the moonlight. Will he turn her thoughts away from Dom or will he help Dom realize his feelings for Kel? Hmmm... Not a good summary, but its a good story!
1. Meeting in the Moonlight

Disclaimer: Really? Do you really need me to tell you that Tamora Pierce owns all of the characters and stuff? Oh I just did...

~ So this chapter is quite short and I am eternally sorry for that but I felt it was a good stopping point... and I'm really to tired to do more... but I really wanted to post this. The next chapter will be quick to appear. This story is my first fanfic so tell me what I need help with... Enjoy!!! ~

_**Meeting in the Moonlight**_

The woman in the sitting in the courtyard sighed, lifting her head towards the full moon that filled the night sky. Kel was tired of the endless series of balls, one after the other, that she was forced to attend. The days were an endless parade of dresses, balls, and the worst, court gossips. She was tired of hearing Dom's name attached to lady after lady. She thought that over time her crush would fade, just as the others did, but one year after saving the children from Blance and her heart still leapt at the sight of his crooked grin.

A gentle breeze drifted by, bringing the soft tune of a waltz out to her. Kel dreamed of being asked by Dom to dance this gentle song with him just once, but he did not see her as someone who would enjoy gentle things. _Maybe I just need to get away from the palace for a while, do something meaningful_, she thought, sighing. Kel stood, her hunter green dress swirling about her.

Out of nowhere, sparrows began to flock around her, chirping happily in greeting. Kel still could not believe how large the flock that she left behind had become. She began dancing and twirling down a path, further exciting the birds. She had to stop and clench her sides because she was laughing so hard she had stitches in her sides. Finally she collapsed on a bench and watched as the sparrows land on the nearby trees.

"Thank you, my friends, that was a much needed distraction from my troubling thoughts." She smiled as the birds rose into the air and scattered into the night sky.

"What troubles you, my lady?" a voice from behind her asked.

She spun, a shocked gasp trapped in her throat. Her eyes widened as they met familiar icy blue eyes. "But… but," Kel stammered in horror, "you're dead!"

AN: So I know that Kel is a bit out of character... but everyone needs to skip down a path in the moonlight when they are feeling down... try it sometime. It'll make you feel happy even if people will look at you strange. Review!!!


	2. Confusion

~ So the crazy, insane dogs next door decided it would be fun to wake me up early this morning, so I felt like writing a little something, somethin... So here you go! ~

_**Confusion**_

"_What troubles you my lady?" a voice from behind her asked._

_She spun, a shocked gasp trapped in her throat. Her eyes widened as they met familiar icy blue eyes. "But… but," Kel stammered in horror, "you're dead!"_

A tiny smile touched the man's lips as he sauntered forward, "I can assure you that I am, in fact, alive and kicking."

"But… but…" Kel's mind scrambled to figure out what was going on. Her hands fumbled at her side, frantically realizing that she did not have her sword, since Yuki had convinced her that it did not go with the dress she was wearing.

"I believe you are mistaking me for my _loving_, late brother," the man said, sarcastically.

"Brother…?" Kel whispered. Calmer now, her eyes assessed the man standing comfortably before her. Though he had the same pale blue eyes and white blonde hair, he was different somehow. His eyes did not hold the same distain and coldness that Joren's always held when he looked at her. This man's eyes held humor mixed with confidence. Instead of Joren's long hair pulled back at the nape of his neck, this man's hair was cropped short, close to his head. The most noticeable difference was in the clothes. Joren's clothes had always been spotless and perfect, they never even looked worn. This man's clothes were worn from hard work and travel.

"Joren never mentioned having a brother," Kel stated, still wary of this man that looked so familiar, but seemed so different.

"He wasn't very proud of me," he said quietly, his face turned towards the stars above. "We took our separate ways when we turned ten. He went to train to become a knight and I took to the sea. He thought that what I decided to do was a commoner's job, even though I ended up going to the naval academy to become an officer. Every letter he sent to me over the years that he was a page became more disdainful. He stopped writing when he became a squire."

Kel looked toward Joren's brother, noticing his tense face, "You were his twin then?"

"Yes," he answered his voice cold. He took one last look at the twinkling stars then pasted a smile on his face. "Here I am twisting your ear and we haven't even exchanged names yet." He bowed low to her, "I'm Lieutenant Jason of Stone Mountain. And you are?"

Kel stood not sure whether to bow or curtsy. She stuck out her hand and declared, "Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan."

She saw shock flicker across his face for a moment before he gripped her hand in a friendly manner. "You're different than I expected you to be." He saw the confusion in her eyes and informed her, "When my brother was still writing me, he wrote some things about you, none of it good."

"Oh." She released his hand and turned her face away. "Your brother didn't care for me much."

"Don't worry," he said, gripping her chin and turning her face back towards him. "I draw my conclusions about people on my own."

Her eyes widened again. "I can normally hide my feelings much better from other people."

He laughed, the warm sound filling the courtyard. "Your mask is very good, but I spent a lot of time with the Yamanis and have become accustomed to their ways."

"Well," Kel paused smiling, "I'm going back to the ball to make my excuses so I can retire for the night. Were you planning on going to the ball?" she asked, eyeing his worn clothes.

"No," he replied. "I just reached the capital and I didn't realize that there was a ball. His majesty requested my presence to have a conference with me, but I suppose it will have to wait until the morning." He grabbed her hand before she could pull away and kissed it. "Good night, my lady."

She slowly me his eyes, as she said, "My friends call me Kel."

He slowly smiled, "Should I consider you a friend then?"

"For now."

"Then meet me for breakfast in the general mess hall? I need to make sure I'm fit before I meet with the king."

"All right." She bowed her head and turned away. She slowly made her way back towards the music, bewildered by the sudden turn of events. For some reason she felt a connection with this man, though she knew she should be very wary of him.

AN: Hope you enjoyed that little tidbit... Its still shorter than what I would have liked but my best work does not happen in the morning. Review... pretty pleeeease? I have a pretty set plan of where this is going but interesting contributions from others could make things... ummm... interesting. I can't think of another word right now...


	3. Breakfast and an Errand

~ Have at it people......... It was so pretty and warm outside today... mmmmmm.... it was around 80 degrees... how often does that happen in January?

_**Breakfast and an Errand**_

Kel woke at her normal predawn hour to practice with her glaive in one of the practice yards. Once she was done with her pattern dances, she returned her weapon to her room and began making her way to the mess hall. As she was walking, she ran into Neal, Yuki, and Dom.

Feigning shock, Kel asked, "What are _Dom _and _Neal_ doing up this early? And actually looking alive at that?"

The corners of Yuki's eyes crinkled with restrained laughter. "They are going to go and pick the furniture that I ordered for the baby. I want to have it all set up before we leave for Queenscove," Yuki said, gently rubbing her growing belly. Neal and Yuki were leaving for Queenscove in less than two weeks so Yuki could have the baby there. They decided to stay there for a few months after the baby was born to get used to their new family member. "Also, Lalasa is going to come by with the first batch of baby clothes later."

"Is it okay if I drop by when she's there?" Kel asked. "I haven't gotten the chance to really see her unless she is sticking pins in me."

"Of course." Yuki turned to Neal, "You and Dom go along and meet the carpenter at the gate, I'm sure you will trust Kel to take me to the mess hall. I'm sure she will be able to protect me."

Neal sighed, "Just make sure Kel finds me if you start to feel strange at all or feel any pain." He bent and placed a kiss on her forehead. The men strode off purposefully.

As Kel and Yuki made their way towards the mess hall at a much slower pace, Yuki told Kel, "Neal doesn't trust me to do anything anymore. Every time I turn around, he's there hovering over me. It's getting quite annoying."

"You only have two months left of his constant worrying. Then he will turn his attention on your baby and you will want his attention." As they entered the mess hall and got in line for food, Kel's eyes scanned the room. Jason was not there yet. She was confused by her reaction to him, though she knew she should be wary of him, she felt comfortable and relaxed. She felt open to him but she could not figure out exactly why.

She followed Yuki as she waddled toward an empty table. They sat and ate, Kel carefully watching that Yuki was eating enough since she was eating for two. Soon there was a clank as someone put down their food tray.

"I figured I would find you here since I missed you at your room," Shinko said, gracefully sitting.

"I wake up starving these days. So when are you planning on giving your husband an heir?" Yuki asked with a very un-Yamani frankness.

Shinko barely contained her blush. "I remember when we first came here you swore you would stay Yamani in every way, but you've changed." Yuki shrugged at the statement. "But I will answer your question because you and Kel are my best friends. When Roald and I married, he decided that we should wait so we could spend time alone together, but I do not want to wait anymore. I'm ready."

Kel and Yuki put their hands over Shinko's. "That's great!" Yuki exclaimed.

"Good luck, Cricket," Kel whispered.

"Am I interrupting something?" a voice asked from across the table. Kel looked up into Jason's light blue eyes.

Kel motioned to seat across from her and next to Shinko, "Please sit. I thought you weren't going to come anymore."

He grinned as he sat. "I woke a couple of hours before dawn and went riding. When I got back to the stables I got a little distracted by all of the horses. That's one thing that I miss while I'm at sea, visiting all of the horses." He turned towards Shinko and Yuki and said, "Here I am yammering on about horses and I haven't even introduced myself. I'm Lieutenant Jason of Stone Mountain."

"Princess Shinkokami of Conte."

"Your Highness." He bowed his head reverently.

"I'm Lady Yukimi of Queenscove."

He smiled, "It's great to meet you both. I know very few people outside of the navy." The bell sounding one hour after dawn rang and he began shoveling food into his mouth. Within a few seconds his plate was empty and he stood. "I have to go meet with the king now." He sent a smile in Kel's direction, "I heard there's another ball tonight and I'm planning on attending, will I see you there?"

"I suppose so, since there's no way out," Kel answered with a grimace on her face. He bowed to them and left.

Shinko and Yuki had frowns of confusion on their faces as he left. Finally Shinko broke the silence, "He looks familiar."

"I was thinking the same thing, but I couldn't quite place him," Yuki added.

"Stone Mountain was Joren's home. Jason is his twin."

"Ohhh," they said at the same time. Yuki's eyes went cold remembering Joren.

"Look," Kel said. "Don't judge him based on his brother, he seems different." Kel smiled, turning to Yuki, "Don't mention this to Neal, I'm thinking of a way to scare the hell out of him at the ball."

A sparkle entered Yuki's eyes. "That will be fun; I love it when he freaks out. I won't mention a thing."

"Well, I'm guessing that Roald already knows, or soon will, so there's no point in hiding it from him," Shinko remarked wryly.

Yuki leaned towards Kel, her eyes intent, "Just what are you planning on doing?"

A small smile touched Kel's lips, "I haven't quite worked it out yet, but you'll see."

* * *

Slowly walking along a path, Kel took the long way to the stables. The warm sunlight shone down on her, gently heating her face. Midsummer was in another month, yet the weather was not horribly hot as it often was during the summer.

She heard a voice call out to her and she turned to see a familiar, distracted man making his way towards her. Gareth of Naxen held out a stack of paper to her. "The king needs to get these reports immediately. Keladry's your name, correct?" Without pausing for a response, he continued. "I'm late for a meeting. Bring these to the king; he should be in his study." He turned and began to quickly hurry away.

Kel looked dejectedly at the papers in her hands. At least this time she would not have to climb to the top of the Needle to deliver the papers. Sighing, she turned back to the palace.

When she made it to the king's study, she was admitted by a servant. The large study was well lit with a large open window on one of the sides of the room. The king was hunched over his desk writing. When she entered he leaned back in his chair and smiled.

Walking forward, Kel held out the stack of papers. "Lord Gareth gave these to me to get to you. He said they were important."

The king took them, grimacing. "The reports are never ending," he mumbled. He glanced up at Kel, "Will you wait a few minutes so I can be sure none of these require immediate responses?"

Kel nodded in acceptance. As the king bent over the reports, she walked over to the window and looked out at the view. The scenery was spectacular from this window. It viewed part of the city and part of the vast forest, reminding her of the two different parts of the realm.

Kel turned as the door opened and a servant stepped forward. "I found Lord Stone Mountain again." Kel braced herself to see Burchard of Stone Mountain again, but relaxed as Jason walked through the door.

He smiled at Kel before turning to the king, "You needed to see me again?"

"Yes, I neglected to have you sign one of the papers." He rifled through some of the papers on his desk, "Here it is, read through this and sign at the bottom."

As Jason bent towards the paper, the king turned to Kel. "None of these papers require an immediate response, but thank you for bringing them to me." Kel bowed and left the room.

The king turned back to Jason. "As the new Lord of Stone Mountain you need to be introduced to the court. I suggest that you find a lady who is familiar with court but has not been formally introduced to accompany you."

Jason thought for a moment before asking, "Has the Lady Knight been formally introduced yet?"

A smile lit up Jonathan's eyes, "I don't believe she has. I'm guessing you will tell her. Arrive half an hour before the start of the ball." Jason bowed and left, hurrying to catch up with Kel.

AN: Ahhhhh! This chapter was difficult to write since my brain didn't want to focus on this chapter... it wanted to think about what happens in a few chapters... grrrrrrr....

Anyways Review! Pretty please? It could encourage me to focus my attention (what little of it that I do have) on writing some more so I can get to the gooood stuff...


	4. The Ball

Disclaimer: Tamora Pierce owns this and I merely live in her world...

~ So you all get this chapter today because I was EXTREMELY happy because I finally came up with the design for my next tattoo!!! I'm soooo happy that I finally decided now all I have to do is find the money to pay for it... but I should probably pay for tuition and books first... and get a job since I will be broke once I pay that off... but its not my fault barely anyone is hiring right now... booo... ~

Thank you to those of you who have reviewed! - - LJane, wiltingflowersandpinkribbons, Shang Leopard, spazzysassyangel, jayley, quickreader93, DomLuver

_**The Ball**_

Kel sat with Yuki in her room as Lalasa took baby clothes out of her bag. The little clothes were beautiful, made out of colors for either a boy or a girl. Yuki and Neal had decided to wait until the baby was born to find out whether the baby was a boy or girl, despite the fact that they easily could have found out. In the Yamani Isles, it was bad luck to find out the sex of the baby before it was born.

Once all of the clothes were taken out, the three women began to fold them and pack them into bags so they would be ready when they left for Queenscove. They exchanged small talk during the task. Kel missed simple times like this when she was out in the field.

"I heard there was another ball tonight and I figured you would need a new dress, so I brought one to fit for you," Lalssa said.

Kel grimaced. "What would I do without you?" she asked sarcastically.

Lalssa rolled her eyes. "You would be wearing the same old worn out clothes day after day." She took the dress out of the bag and held it up. "Put it on," she said firmly.

Grumbling, Kel grabbed the dress and disappeared behind the dressing screen. "Isn't this a little bit much?"

"No," came Lalasa's firm response from the other side of the screen.

"Isn't it cut a bit low in the front?"

"No! Just come out already! You've faced numerous machines' in battle but you cannot even face two women? Come out!" Lalasa commanded.

Grumbling, Kel stepped out from behind the screen and awaited the two women's comments. For a few seconds they sat in silence, then Yuki exclaimed in a soft voice, "Oh Kel, it looks absolutely marvelous on you."

The dress was made of deep blue silk with stars embroidered on it in shimmering gold thread. Kel had to admit that the dress did look amazing though she still thought it was a bit much for a knight of the realm.

After scrutinizing her from every angle, Lalasa said, "The dress fits perfectly! Which is amazing since you keep outgrowing your clothes with new muscles that you put on."

"Since it fits can I change out of it now?" Kel asked, her voice pleading.

Lalasa rolled her eyes. "Stop acting like a child at her first fitting," she rebuked while waving her hands in dismissal.

"You know," Yuki called out casually, "Dom will love that dress on you."

Hope flared in Kel's heart, but she quickly dampened it and asked, "Why does that matter?"

Sighing, Yuki replied, "I know how you look at him. It's obvious that you have feelings for him. There's no point in denying it."

Before Kel had a chance to respond a knock sounded at Yuki's door and Kel heard a deep man's voice talking. Curious, Kel quickly finished dressing and came out from behind the dressing screen to see who was there.

She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Jason casually leaning against the door frame, watching her. "Do you realize how long it took to find you?" he asked.

Kel shot him a questioning gaze. "Why were you looking for me?"

"Will you help me with a dilemma that I seem to be having?"

"Sure," Kel answered. "I'll do whatever I can."

"Great," he replied smiling broadly. "I'm being formally introduced at court tonight and I need an escort to tonight's ball, preferably someone who has not been formally introduced to court yet. When I asked, the king said you have yet to be introduced…" His smile grew even wider as understanding flickered across Kel's face.

"No, no, no, no, no, no. No way!" she cried.

"But Kel, you already said you would help him," Yuki reminded her.

"And you already have the perfect dress," Lalasa added.

"If you wear the dress when you are introduced it will boost Lalasa's sales," Yuki remarked.

Finally giving into their barrage of comments, Kel shouted, "Fine! And I'm only doing this because it's the perfect way to scare the hell out of Neal. What time do I need to be ready?"

"Well, the ball starts in two hours, but we are supposed to arrive half an hour early." He paused, "What colors are you wearing so that I may coordinate?"

"I'll get the dress. She was just trying it on," Yuki explained, disappearing behind to screen. She came back out, gently holding the dress out in front of her.

Jason reached out to touch the golden stars embroidered on the dress. "I have a silk tunic that matches the color, but I'll have to find someone to add some gold details to it."

"I have time to do that," Lalasa said, gathering up her sewing kit. "It will not be as grand like the dress, since there's not enough time, but I can add some details that will show off the gold." Kel took a moment to marvel at how much Lalasa's confidence had grown since she first met her. Gone was the timid young woman and in her place stood a woman confident in what she did and who she was.

"Great!" he exclaimed, leading Lalasa from the room. He shot a quick grin back at Kel and said, "I'll see you later, don't be late."

* * *

Kel waited nervously in the waiting room off the ballroom for everyone to enter the ball. She walked to the mirror to fidget with her gown to make sure it was on right. Yuki had put some face paint on her face and had played around with her hair. She had to admit that she looked pretty good. After a lot of badgering and pestering, Yuki had convinced Kel that bangs would make her hair look good, so Kel emerged from her room with side swept bangs. She put her hand over them one last time to smooth them out.

She knew that some people would be surprised that she decided to wear a very girly, flouncy dress to the ball, but she wanted people to realize that even Lady Knights were still women and they were allowed to dress and act like one while still protecting Tortall.

Jason came up behind Kel and laid his hands on her shoulders. He bent down and whispered in her ear, "Stop fidgeting, you look beautiful."

She spun, surprised. "You're late!"

He winced, "Sorry, Lalasa just finished sewing the details on my tunic, you like?" he asked, indicating to his tunic. There were small stars scattered over his tunic.

"It looks great! Though I knew it would since it was made by Lalasa." She paused biting her lip anxiously. "I'm a little scared to do this," she admitted.

"It will be fine. I promise not to step on your feet when we dance," he said grinning at her lopsidedly.

"It's time," a voice behind them said. They turned to look at the herald. "Are you ready?"

They both nodded to the herald and followed him out to the entry doors of the ballroom. The herald threw open one of the doors entering into the ballroom and strode through. Jason and Kel waited a few seconds for the herald to begin his introductions before starting down the stairs.

"Introducing for their Majesties, Lord Jason of Stone Mountain, Lieutenant of the Kings Navy, accompanied by Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan, Protector of the Small."

Kel winced slightly at the use of the last title, but carefully schooled her expression to be calm and serene. Once she knew that her face was devoid of emotion, she looked around the room for familiar faces.

Neal's face was the easiest to find since he was still holding the remnants of a broken glass and his mouth was hanging open in shock. Yuki was standing next to him with a furious expression on her face while she wiped wine off her dress. Others looked shocked, some confused. Her eyes finally found Dom in a group of King's Own men. He had a strange look on his face as he watched them descend the stairs. As Kel watched different emotions flashed across his face, each one as hard to pinpoint as the last.

When Kel and Jason reached the thrones the king and queen formally greeted them. As Jason bowed, Kel sank into a deep curtsy. She was happy that she had been practicing her curtsy so she would not feel embarrassed.

Once the King Jonathan opened the dance floor for couples to start dancing, Jason led her onto the dance floor and started dancing around the floor with her. He asked, "Would it be a horrible inconvenience if I asked you to dance every dance with you tonight?"

Kel looked up at him in surprise, "You don't want to dance with anyone else tonight?"

He shook his head and shuddered, "Look at all of those mothers waiting on the sidelines. They are ready to shove their young, unmarried daughters at me in hopes of catching my title. I don't want to suffer through an endless night of giggling girls." He shuddered once again to prove his point.

Smiling, she answered, "Fine, I'll save you… again, but only because no one should go through that kind of torture."

He studied her silently for a moment before asking, "Would you come somewhere with me tomorrow evening? I want you to meet a good friend of mine. It's very important to me that you get to know him, since I feel that we have already become friends."

"Why is it so important to you that I meet you friend?" Kel asked frowning.

"Please I feel that I can trust you. Just come with me tomorrow."

"Alright."

He sent her a bright smile, full of relief before leading her into the faster steps of the new song that was being played. Kel had little time to thing of his request before her mind was swept into trying to keep up with Jason's quick moving feet.

The night wore on and they finally stopped dancing long enough to get a drink and some fresh air. While Jason went to find both of them a drink, Kel walked out into the gardens directly outside of the ballroom. She happily inhaled the cool night air deeply. For once she was actually having a good time dancing at a ball. Jason was fun to be around. Many people would probably think that they had some sort of a relationship, she realized. Maybe even some would think that they were lovers, but she knew instinctively that they would never like each other like that. She could see them forming a very strong friendship though.

As she was staring up at the stars, she heard footsteps come up behind her. Thinking it was Jason with the drinks, she casually asked, "So did you manage to fight off all of the evil court mothers?"

"I don't think any of the court mothers are trying to push their daughters off on me tonight," an achingly familiar voice said from behind her.

Kel spun, to look up into Dom's bright blue eyes. "Sorry, is Jason stealing all of chances of wooing a young woman tonight?"

Disregarding the question, Dom asked, "What's the deal with him? Are you in a relationship with him or something?"

Frowning, Kel responded, "I don't have to answer to you. Besides, why would that matter to you anyways?"

He sighed in frustration, "I care about you, Kel. I don't want people to sully your reputation, throwing you into bed with just anyone."

"Isn't that your reputation? Just jump into bed with any lady who's nearby?" Kel countered angrily.

"Not all rumors are true, you know," he replied hotly. "Sure I flirt a lot but that does not mean that I sleep with every woman I flirt with. That's just stupid gossip."

"Then maybe you should stop listening to rumors about me."

He ran a hand through his hair and Kel longed to fix to unruly strands sticking up. "I just don't want you to get hurt. Be careful, you remember what his brother was like."

"He's nothing like his brother!" Kel exclaimed.

"How do you even know that?"

"Because she's a good judge of character?" a quite voice asked from behind them.

Dom turned to find Jason standing behind him holding two drinks in his hand. Dom walked up to him and whispered threateningly, "You better not try to do anything to hurt her or you'll have to answer to all of her friends." He glanced one more time at Kel before he disappeared back into the ballroom.

Kel watched Dom leave with a look of sorrow on his face. She told Jason, "Sorry about that, I don't know what's gotten into him."

"Jealousy." Kel looked at him with a questioning look on her face. "It's obvious that he has some sort of feelings for you. Jealousy just brings out the feelings. When there's a chance that you won't always be there like before, then the evil green monster rears its ugly head."

"He's just a friend. It's nothing more than that."

Jason smiled at her ignorance, "So you think." He paused, sizing her up. "Here you look exhausted, let me escort you back to your rooms."

She nodded in acceptance and took his arm as he led her away, her mind full of confusing and troublesome thoughts.

* * *

A/N: Yaaaayyyy that was looong for me and my short attention span!!! It think I will go make some mac and cheese and sit on the porch since its still toasty warm outside...

Here's my awesome movie quote of the day from Laws of Attraction : "I'm not here on a Tuesday. I know, I know what you're thinking- If I'm not here on a Tuesday, and we're not open on a Tuesday, and today is Tuesday and I'm standing here, then how can it be. Well, it depends on how you look at it!" Sorry that makes me chuckle...

Review!!!


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